Have been doing a little bit of research.
(the benefit of being home with a terrible chest cold)

A profile of the Fiji Warriors A team which was defeated 24:12 by the Western Force:
- 14 of the 23 (~60%) have since played in the NRC.
- 6 of the 23 were capped Fiji Test players (Seru Vularika 11; Mosese Voka 6; the remainder <5)

In the 6 NRC rounds so far the Fiji Drua:
- Has averaged 12 players who played against the Western Force and 7 capped Fiji players.
- The 7 capped Test players is the highest of any NRC team.

The Western Force are showing some very good stats:
- Currently 2nd on the ladder.

Awful weather forecast , let's hope it's just the usual really bad prediction where it does the total opposite of what forecast because it would be a shame if this ended up a wet weather contest, especially since the hill has no roof.

Looks like a few more food Van's than usual. Let's hope they have the bouncy castles too this time, although with the forecast they probably missed that opportunity last time when they complained about it being too windy despite it being relatively calm. I imagine Saturday will have a bit more wind too.

Game Day Information: Western Force v Fijian Drua

October 9, 2018

The Western Force are back at home to play the Fijian Drua in the last round of the home and away games this Saturday at UWA Sports Park.

The Force and the RugbyWA community would like you to continue joining us in supporting our Australian Farmers and rural communities who are struggling through the drought as part of the NRC charity round.

Around the Grounds
Pre-game:
Pre-game activities start at 11.50 pm and there is something for everyone!

Activities include:
– The Mandurah Raw Prawns and The Rocking Chairs will be going head-to-head on field two with kick-off at 11.50am after a minute of silence to commemorate players that have past away.
– RugbyRoos Junior games on field one.
– Wallabies Pass the Ball
– Westie, Roo and Wally the Wallaby
– Sumo Suits
– Spongebob Squarepants and Looney Tunes Bouncy Castles
– Rugby Pass Hut
– Rugby Roos clinics including special appearances from Western Force players
– Face Painting

Plus food trucks and BBQ’s to keep everyone well fed, and a licensed drinking area including a pop-up bar for the grown-ups.

The UWA AON 7’s Women’s team will be battling it out in a five-minute game to keep the rugby flowing so your time is filled with rugby action.

Signed Jersey Raffle

To enter the competition simply purchase a Game Day Program for $5. Each program is uniquely coded and puts you in the draw for a chance to win an exclusive signed Western Force Jersey.

Postgame
The field will be opened up after the game with fans and public able to congratulate the players and have a kick around on the field.

Getting there
Parking options are limited so make sure you get there early to get a parking spot. See map for parking availabilities.

Public Transport is also available with bus route 28 stopping a short walk away in front of HBF Stadium. Though please be aware that Sunday timings do apply.

Be the Force for Farmers in need
Farmers around Australia need our help to keep their cattle, sheep and horses alive through one of the worst droughts in living history. These farmers have been feeding us for hundreds of years and are the backbones to Australian agriculture.

Together, small gestures can make a BIG difference.

With your generosity and support, we hope that we can help provide aid to the thousands of farmers and their livestock who are doing it tough.

Our goal is to reach a minimum of $9500 so we can provide a semi-trailer worth of hay and transport it to an affected area.

Every donation through this page will go directly to the ‘Buy a Bale’ (Rural Aid) Foundation, who do great work to reach those in need.

You can donate as little as $10 and all donations over $2 are tax deductible.

Your donation in action:

$20 buys a small bale of hay and helps transport it to the affected areas
$60 buys 3 x $20 gift cards to help put food on the table
$100 buys a large bale of hay
$500 buys 5 large bales of hay
$1000 buys 10 large bales of hay
$5700 buys a single-trailer load of hay
$9500 buys a semi-trailer load of hay and transport it to an affected area]

Major showdown for minor premiership
Today at 9:36 AM NRC
by Brett McKay

Here we go then, the final round of the 2018 National Rugby Championship, and we’re in for an absolutely sensational weekend of rugby.

Two games will have a huge impact on the final makeup of the top four: Western Force v Fijian Drua on Saturday will decide who claims the minor premiership and the Horan-Little Shield for 2018, while Brisbane City v Canberra on Sunday will determine which of the two sides takes the final playoff berth.

If you’re in Perth or Brisbane, do yourself a massive favour and get to either game. If you’re not, stock the fridge, prepare the snacks, and get comfy on the couch. You don’t want to miss any game this weekend.

SATURDAY: Western Force v Fijian Drua, Perth

Second v First. The minor premiership and home ground finals advantage awaits. It could be the game of the season. And it will be the Drua’s first ever NRC trip to Western Australia.

On paper, it shapes as a wonderful contest.

The first-placed Fijians dominate all the attack stats: they lead the way in carries, clean breaks, defenders beaten, and offloads. They've scored more tries than every other side bar Queensland Country, and comfortably lead the run metres - they're not far off doubling the metres tally of the Force, in fact.

Interestingly, the Drua have conceded the fewest tries. Probably because they don’t have time to let tries in, on account scoring so many tries and running so many metres themselves. And the Drua unsurprisingly don’t make the most tackles, but they have missed the second-fewest number of tackles this season. They average nearly four fewer missed tackles per game than the Force.

But Fiji do give chances. They’ve conceded the most turnovers in the competition, they’re the most penalised team in the competition, and they’ve earned the second-most yellow cards.

The Force, on the other hand, are very happy under the radar and just get the job done. They rank about mid-table in pretty much all the attack stats, though they do offload less and kick more than every other team in the NRC.

They’ve conceded the fewest penalties and only one yellow card for the season, and are among the more miserly teams when it comes to turnovers conceded. And they’re at home.

As if this all doesn’t make this a mouth-watering contest, the Horan-Little Shield being on the line for 2018 adds just another level of intrigue to the contest. Fiji have held it once before but only briefly, while the Force can follow on from Perth Spirit last season and become the first side since the Shield’s inception to claim the title for both a second time, and in back-to-back seasons.

The Western Force have selected their team to play in a top of the table clash against the Fijian Drua in the last of the home and away rounds.

The winner of this game will also take the Horan-Little shield which has been in the Force’s possession throughout the year.
University of Western Australia player, Chris Alcock, will return to start as right flanker shifting Tevin Ferris to the left.

Henry Taefu will make his anticipated return to the field after his selection to the Manu Samoa team to tour the Northern Hemisphere in November.

Playing in his first NRC start for the season against the Melbourne Rising last week, Brad Lacey moves to start on the wing opposite Rod Davies with Clay Uyen moving into the reserves.

After scoring two tries in round one against Brisbane City, hooker Feleti Kaitu’u returns fully recovered to start on the bench.

AJ Alatimu has also been called up to start as number 22 with Peter Grant recovering from a head knock in last weekends win against the Rising.

Kick off at 2pm after a curtain opener from the U8's and Golden Oldies game! And a halftime show from the UWA AON 7's team!

The Western Force are back at home to play the Fijian Drua in the last round of the home and away games this Saturday at UWA Sports Park.

The Force and the RugbyWA community would like you to continue joining us in supporting our Australian Farmers and rural communities who are struggling through the drought as part of the NRC charity round.

Pre-game:
Pre-game activities start at 11.50 pm and there is something for everyone!
Activities include:
– The Mandurah Raw Prawns and The Rocking Chairs will be going head-to-head on field two with kick-off at 11.50am after a minute of silence to commemorate players that have past away.
– RugbyRoos Junior games on field one.
– Wallabies Pass the Ball
– Westie, Roo and Wally the Wallaby
– Sumo Suits
– Spongebob Squarepants and Looney Tunes Bouncy Castles
– Rugby Pass Hut
– Rugby Roos clinics including special appearances from Western Force players
– Face Painting

Plus food trucks and BBQ’s to keep everyone well fed, and a licensed drinking area including a pop-up bar for the grown-ups.

Half-time
UWA AON Womens 7’S
The UWA AON 7’s Women’s team will be battling it out in a five-minute game to keep the rugby flowing so your time is filled with rugby action.
Signed Jersey Raffle
To enter the competition simply purchase a Game Day Program for $5. Each program is uniquely coded and puts you in the draw for a chance to win an exclusive signed Western Force Jersey.

Postgame
The field will be opened up after the game with fans and public able to congratulate the players and have a kick around on the field.

Getting there
Parking options are limited so make sure you get there early to get a parking spot.
Alternatively, use the UBER code ‘FORCEUWA’ to get $5 off your ride to or from UWA Sports Park.
Public Transport is also available with bus route 28 stopping a short walk away in front of HBF Stadium. Though please be aware that Sunday timings do apply.

Be the Force for Farmers in need
Farmers around Australia need our help to keep their cattle, sheep and horses alive through one of the worst droughts in living history. These farmers have been feeding us for hundreds of years and are the backbones to Australian agriculture.
Together, small gestures can make a BIG difference.
With your generosity and support, we hope that we can help provide aid to the thousands of farmers and their livestock who are doing it tough.
Our goal is to reach a minimum of $9500 so we can provide a semi-trailer worth of hay and transport it to an affected area.
Every donation through this page will go directly to the ‘Buy a Bale’ (Rural Aid) Foundation, who do great work to reach those in need.
You can donate as little as $10 and all donations over $2 are tax deductible.
Your donation in action:
$20 buys a small bale of hay and helps transport it to the affected areas
$60 buys 3 x $20 gift cards to help put food on the table
$100 buys a large bale of hay
$500 buys 5 large bales of hay
$1000 buys 10 large bales of hay
$5700 buys a single-trailer load of hay
$9500 buys a semi-trailer load of hay and transport it to an affected area.